Novel Herbal Emollients Plus Benefit Patients With AD

Medscape

3 days ago

TOPLINE:
A novel herbal emollient plus combination containing ginger extract and cannabidiol was effective and provided sustained relief of itch, progressive improvement of objective symptoms, and stabilisation of the skin barrier in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) over a period of 12 weeks.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers analysed 94 adults and children with AD (adults ≥ 18 years; children < 18 years) in a 12-week prospective interventional monocentric trial.
Participants applied BNO 3732 body lotion twice daily and BNO 3731 intensive care product as needed. Both products contained ginger extract and cannabidiol as active cosmetic ingredients.
Researchers evaluated outcomes using the peak pruritus numerical rating scale, Recap of atopic eczema (RECAP), Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI), children's DLQI (CDLQI), and validated Investigator Global Assessment for Atopic Dermatitis (vIGA-AD).
In adult subgroups, researchers assessed the epidermal barrier integrity via intercellular lipid levels, lamellar organisation, and corneocyte maturity.
TAKEAWAY:
A significant improvement was observed in mean RECAP sum scores (P < .001), with a 54% reduction seen in the first 4 weeks, and peak pruritus significantly decreased by 53% after 4 weeks (P < .001); the outcomes were sustained over 12 weeks.
Mean vIGA-AD scores decreased by 63% over 12 weeks, with 88% of participants classified as responders and 59% achieved clearance by week 12.
The skin-related quality of life for adults and children (4-15 years) significantly increased in the first 4 weeks according to the DLQI and CDLQI, respectively, followed by a progressive improvement over the remaining 8 weeks.
An instrumental analysis revealed significant increases in ceramide EOS, ceramide NP, free fatty acids, and cholesterol contents after 12 weeks of product application (P ≤ .05).
The mean length of lipid lamellae significantly increased from 61.08 to 196.23 nm/1000 nm2 (P < .001), reaching levels comparable with those of the healthy skin. The ratio of mature to immature corneocytes was significantly increased after 12 weeks (P < .001), indicating enhanced barrier integrity.
IN PRACTICE:
"Oil-in-water emulsions BNO 3732 and BNO 3731 containing the ACIs [active cosmetic ingredients] ginger extract and cannabidiol with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative in vitroactivities are efficacious beyond mere moisturizing and occlusive properties by providing sustained relief of itch, long-lasting improvement of objective AD symptoms, and stabilization of the epidermal permeability barrier," the authors of the study wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Lars Herrmann, Bionorica SE, Neumarkt, Germany. It was published online on June 18, 2025, in Acta Dermato-Venereologica.
LIMITATIONS:
This study had several limitations, including the absence of a dedicated control group. Additionally, the subpanel for instrumental skin barrier analysis was reduced compared to the complete study population. The researchers also noted that no instructions were available regarding the amount of products to be used, preventing the correlation analysis between the magnitude of effects and product usage amounts.
DISCLOSURES:
This study was funded by Bionorica SE in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany. Eight authors reported being employees of Bionorica SE. One author is named as an inventor on a patent application for compositions containing cannabidiol and an extract from ginger.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.